If you slept in this morning, I’m guessing you missed it. It came and went with a flash. The grocery store shelves were not threatened. There were no heated discussions of concern between school board members. It was an early snow, a brief snow, and now, no snow. As a chronic early-riser, I witnessed the snow cover before 3am; it continued to fall for another hour. If I have a favorite kind of snow in March, this is it. The thing is, I don’t have a favorite kind of snow in March. It came, and is forgotten. I am ready for winter to go away. I bet you are too.

In some form or fashion we collectively go through this every year. Early warmth stimulates plant flowering and growth; late frost and freezes create potential for damage to desirable plants. So where, and about what, should you be concerned?

By virtue of the physical properties of water, it is not possible for snow to form where atmospheric conditions are above freezing, 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperatures at ground level can be above that point, but snow tends to turn, rather quickly, into water. The snow, in of itself, poses no threat to our plants. It is the temperatures that can, and do, cause areas of concern.

If you have flowering bulbs poking their heads out and/or showing signs of color, not to worry. There is a reason why the folks over in the Netherlands grow so many bulb plants: Bulb plants tend to be quite resilient to cold conditions; they actually prefer it. Cooler conditions greatly extend the flowering times of nearly all early flowering flora. It would appear we will have an extended flowering season this spring from forsythia, quince, saucer magnolias and ornamental cherry trees.

It will also have the same effect on Bradford pear trees, but a chainsaw will quickly fix that problem.

We are officially extending our hours as we make our way towards spring. Beginning Monday March 12, we will close at 5pm.

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Bates Nursery is a Garden Center for both the Distinguished Gardener as well as the Amateur Homeowner starting from the beginning. We have all you might possibly need to begin or continue your journey towards beautifying the earth you call home.